Posted!

Join the Nation's Conversation

This conversation is moderated according to USA TODAY's
community rules.
Please read the rules before joining the discussion.

Frozen wonders: see what the Polar Vortex has froze solid

Ice Crystals form on a window Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019, in Pepper Pike, Ohio. The painfully cold weather system holding much of the Midwest in a historic deep freeze sent temperatures plunging to record low temperatures in several cities Thursday, and while a dramatic swing of as much as 80 degrees is expected by early next week, the weather system continued to wreak havoc to air travel and other infrastructure as it marched eastward. Tony Dejak, AP

None

Ice Crystals form on a window Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019, in Pepper Pike, Ohio. The painfully cold weather system holding much of the Midwest in a historic deep freeze sent temperatures plunging to record low temperatures in several cities Thursday, and while a dramatic swing of as much as 80 degrees is expected by early next week, the weather system continued to wreak havoc to air travel and other infrastructure as it marched eastward.
Tony Dejak, AP

Icicles cling to power lines above where Des Moines Water Works crews are working to fix a water main break in Des Moines, Iowa's East Village on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019. The National Weather Service reported a new record low temperature of -19 in Des Moines on Wednesday morning. Kelsey Kremer, The Register-USA TODAY NETWORK

None

Icicles cling to power lines above where Des Moines Water Works crews are working to fix a water main break in Des Moines, Iowa's East Village on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019. The National Weather Service reported a new record low temperature of -19 in Des Moines on Wednesday morning.
Kelsey Kremer, The Register-USA TODAY NETWORK

The Reflecting Pool on the National Mall in Washington, DC, Jan. 31, 2019, is frozen as the region experiences frigid cold temperatures from a "Polar Vortex." A brutal cold wave moved eastward Thursday after bringing temperatures in the US Midwest lower than those in Antarctica, grounding flights, closing schools and businesses and raising fears of hypothermia. The extreme weather has now been blamed for as many as eight deaths, US news outlets reported. AFP/Getty Images

None

The Reflecting Pool on the National Mall in Washington, DC, Jan. 31, 2019, is frozen as the region experiences frigid cold temperatures from a "Polar Vortex." A brutal cold wave moved eastward Thursday after bringing temperatures in the US Midwest lower than those in Antarctica, grounding flights, closing schools and businesses and raising fears of hypothermia. The extreme weather has now been blamed for as many as eight deaths, US news outlets reported.
AFP/Getty Images

Ice forms along the shore of Lake Michigan before sunrise, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019, in Chicago. The painfully cold weather system that put much of the Midwest into a historic deep freeze was expected to ease Thursday, though temperatures still tumbled to record lows in some places. Kiichiro Sato, AP

None

Ice forms along the shore of Lake Michigan before sunrise, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019, in Chicago. The painfully cold weather system that put much of the Midwest into a historic deep freeze was expected to ease Thursday, though temperatures still tumbled to record lows in some places.
Kiichiro Sato, AP

A teenage boy snaps images with his smartphone near an area covered in ice at the Great Falls National Historic Park, Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019, in Paterson, N.J. A fast-moving snowstorm moved through the northern New Jersey Wednesday afternoon. Temperature is predicted to dip into the single digits overnight. Julio Cortez, AP

None

A teenage boy snaps images with his smartphone near an area covered in ice at the Great Falls National Historic Park, Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019, in Paterson, N.J. A fast-moving snowstorm moved through the northern New Jersey Wednesday afternoon. Temperature is predicted to dip into the single digits overnight.
Julio Cortez, AP

A harbor light is covered with snow and ice on the Lake Michigan at 39th Street Harbor, Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019, in Chicago. A deadly arctic deep freeze enveloped the Midwest with record-breaking temperatures on Wednesday, triggering widespread closures of schools and businesses, and prompting the U.S. Postal Service to take the rare step of suspending mail delivery to a wide swath of the region. Nam Y. Huh, AP

None

A harbor light is covered with snow and ice on the Lake Michigan at 39th Street Harbor, Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019, in Chicago. A deadly arctic deep freeze enveloped the Midwest with record-breaking temperatures on Wednesday, triggering widespread closures of schools and businesses, and prompting the U.S. Postal Service to take the rare step of suspending mail delivery to a wide swath of the region.
Nam Y. Huh, AP

A firefighter walks past an ice-encrusted home after an early morning house fire Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019 in St. Paul, Minn. Firefighters were called to the house fire in the North End shortly after 4:15 a.m. The air temperature was 27 degrees below zero Wednesday morning, with windchills at 52 degrees below zero. No injuries were reported. Jean Pieri, Pioneer Press via AP

None

A firefighter walks past an ice-encrusted home after an early morning house fire Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019 in St. Paul, Minn. Firefighters were called to the house fire in the North End shortly after 4:15 a.m. The air temperature was 27 degrees below zero Wednesday morning, with windchills at 52 degrees below zero. No injuries were reported.
Jean Pieri, Pioneer Press via AP

Circular ice formations resembling lily pads are formed in Lake Michigan at Big Bay Park in Whitefish Bay on Jan 30, 2019. The National Weather Service in Sullivan issued its first wind chill warning in five years, as schools, businesses and governments announced closures. A polar vortex is funneling extremely cold air from the North Pole right into Wisconsin. Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin were being hit head-on by the polar vortex Wednesday morning. The temperature was minus 18 degrees and the wind chill was minus 46 in Milwaukee. Wind chills hit minus 51 in Sheboygan, minus 50 in Waukesha and minus 47 at Timmerman Field in Milwaukee early Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. Mike De Sisti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel-USA TODAY Network

None

Circular ice formations resembling lily pads are formed in Lake Michigan at Big Bay Park in Whitefish Bay on Jan 30, 2019. The National Weather Service in Sullivan issued its first wind chill warning in five years, as schools, businesses and governments announced closures. A polar vortex is funneling extremely cold air from the North Pole right into Wisconsin. Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin were being hit head-on by the polar vortex Wednesday morning. The temperature was minus 18 degrees and the wind chill was minus 46 in Milwaukee. Wind chills hit minus 51 in Sheboygan, minus 50 in Waukesha and minus 47 at Timmerman Field in Milwaukee early Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
Mike De Sisti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel-USA TODAY Network

A bubble freezes on the end of the wand Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019, in Mankato, Minn. A blast of polar air enveloped much of the Midwest on Wednesday, cracking train rails, breaking water pipes and straining electrical systems with some of the lowest temperatures in a generation. Pat Christman, The Free Press via AP

None

A bubble freezes on the end of the wand Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019, in Mankato, Minn. A blast of polar air enveloped much of the Midwest on Wednesday, cracking train rails, breaking water pipes and straining electrical systems with some of the lowest temperatures in a generation.
Pat Christman, The Free Press via AP

Ice and snow builds up along Lake Michigan in Chicago, Ill. on Jan. 30, 2019. The US Midwest is gripped by a cold spell as a polar vortex sent temperatures far below zero degrees Celsius. According to meteorologists temperatures in Chicago area could drop to minus 25F degrees. Kamil Krzaczynski, EPA-EFE

None

Ice and snow builds up along Lake Michigan in Chicago, Ill. on Jan. 30, 2019. The US Midwest is gripped by a cold spell as a polar vortex sent temperatures far below zero degrees Celsius. According to meteorologists temperatures in Chicago area could drop to minus 25F degrees.
Kamil Krzaczynski, EPA-EFE

A Hammond, Indiana fire fighter is covered with ice at a fire at 2721 163rd Street in Hammond, Ind., Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019. Fire fighters were hampered by the brutally cold sub-zero temperatures. Tony V. Martin, The Times via AP

None

A Hammond, Indiana fire fighter is covered with ice at a fire at 2721 163rd Street in Hammond, Ind., Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019. Fire fighters were hampered by the brutally cold sub-zero temperatures.
Tony V. Martin, The Times via AP

The sun is seen through ice formed on a window in Burnsville, Minn., Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019, as a deadly arctic deep freeze enveloped the Midwest with record-breaking temperatures. Brian Peterson, Star Tribune via AP

None

The sun is seen through ice formed on a window in Burnsville, Minn., Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019, as a deadly arctic deep freeze enveloped the Midwest with record-breaking temperatures.
Brian Peterson, Star Tribune via AP

A warning sign is covered by ice at Clark Square park in Evanston, Ill., Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019. A deadly arctic deep freeze enveloped the Midwest with record-breaking temperatures on Wednesday, triggering widespread closures of schools and businesses, and prompting the U.S. Postal Service to take the rare step of suspending mail delivery to a wide swath of the region. Nam Y. Huh, AP

None

A warning sign is covered by ice at Clark Square park in Evanston, Ill., Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019. A deadly arctic deep freeze enveloped the Midwest with record-breaking temperatures on Wednesday, triggering widespread closures of schools and businesses, and prompting the U.S. Postal Service to take the rare step of suspending mail delivery to a wide swath of the region.
Nam Y. Huh, AP

Icicles hang in front of a door at a bar in Mequon, Wis. Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019 as temperatures were sub-zero and wind chills were -50 degrees. Jeffrey Phelps, AP

None

Icicles hang in front of a door at a bar in Mequon, Wis. Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019 as temperatures were sub-zero and wind chills were -50 degrees.
Jeffrey Phelps, AP

Icicles form on a railing as the sun rises in the harbor in Port Washington, Wis., on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019 as temperatures were -22 degrees with -50 degree wind chills. Jeffrey Phelps, AP

None

Icicles form on a railing as the sun rises in the harbor in Port Washington, Wis., on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019 as temperatures were -22 degrees with -50 degree wind chills.
Jeffrey Phelps, AP

Ice and snow builds up along Lake Michigan in Chicago, Ill. on Jan. 29, 2019. The US Midwest is braced with a cold spell as a polar vortex sent temperatures far below zero degrees Celsius. Kamil Krzaczynski, EPA-EFE

None

Ice and snow builds up along Lake Michigan in Chicago, Ill. on Jan. 29, 2019. The US Midwest is braced with a cold spell as a polar vortex sent temperatures far below zero degrees Celsius.
Kamil Krzaczynski, EPA-EFE

In this Monday, Jan. 21, 2019, photo two gulls rest on an ice-encrusted wave barrier at Corporation beach in Dennis, Mass. Ron Schloerb, The Cape Cod Times via AP

None

In this Monday, Jan. 21, 2019, photo two gulls rest on an ice-encrusted wave barrier at Corporation beach in Dennis, Mass.
Ron Schloerb, The Cape Cod Times via AP

People visiting the ice house for the fifth annual Dollar Energy Fund Cool Down for Warmth event are visible through ice blocks on Friday, Jan. 25, 2019, in Pittsburgh. The program promotes awareness for families who go without heat in winter months, trying to raise money for utility assistance grants. Keith Srakocic, AP

None

People visiting the ice house for the fifth annual Dollar Energy Fund Cool Down for Warmth event are visible through ice blocks on Friday, Jan. 25, 2019, in Pittsburgh. The program promotes awareness for families who go without heat in winter months, trying to raise money for utility assistance grants.
Keith Srakocic, AP

Birds play in the frozen fountain in Bryant Park January 11, 2019 in New York. New York City was hit with bitter temperatures and high winds. The low for Friday was 22 Farenheit. DON EMMERT, AFP/Getty Images

None

Birds play in the frozen fountain in Bryant Park January 11, 2019 in New York. New York City was hit with bitter temperatures and high winds. The low for Friday was 22 Farenheit.
DON EMMERT, AFP/Getty Images

Interested in this topic? You may also want to view these photo galleries:

None

Ice Crystals form on a window Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019, in Pepper Pike, Ohio. The painfully cold weather system holding much of the Midwest in a historic deep freeze sent temperatures plunging to record low temperatures in several cities Thursday, and while a dramatic swing of as much as 80 degrees is expected by early next week, the weather system continued to wreak havoc to air travel and other infrastructure as it marched eastward.